Page 25 of The Billionaire's Last-Minute Marriage
‘Where is the driver?’ He scowled with obvious annoyance. He altered their course, pulling her slowly in his wake. Slowly...he was walking so slowly and carefully, holding her tight as though she might break.
‘Stop.’ She tripped a little as she removed her arm from his gentle clutches. ‘I don’t expect you to...mind me. I’m not a child.’
‘No, you’re not. You’re my wife and you’re clearly exhausted. Forgive me if I don’t want to see you endure a full evening of discomfort when we can easily leave early.’
‘But you were enjoying yourself with Ran,’ she said, feeling more and more like a petulant child.
Realisation seemed to dawn on him, his lips pressing together. Their driver arrived and Xander herded her into the car, his large body sliding onto the seat beside her. He waited a few moments before he spoke. ‘So you overheard my conversation with Ran Tanaka and immediately jumped to the conclusion that I was arranging a...romantic interlude with her.’
‘I don’t know what you were arranging. It doesn’t matter, does it? While I’m quite annoyed with both of you for keeping your personal history a secret, I understand that it’s not quite my business.’
Xander turned towards her, one arm sliding along the seat behind her head. ‘You are my wife. I’d argue that it’s exactly your business.’
Fear and excitement mingled in her blood, making her lose track of her words. Why did he have to affect her like this?
‘I helped Ran out, a couple of years back. She needed a handsome date on her arm to make someone else jealous. She’s only ever been a friend.’ He emphasised the last word softly.
Pandora processed his words slowly, feeling relief and embarrassment war within her chest. ‘I’ve made a mess of tonight, Xander, I’m sorry. Just, please go back and enjoy the rest of the event. I can go back to Osaka alone.’
‘You’re tired and we are newly-weds, so it’s hardly suspicious for us to duck out of an event early.’ He sat back in his seat, staring out at the passing lights. ‘We’re not going back to Osaka. I’ve arranged for accommodations here.’
Pandora paused, puzzling over the sudden change in plans. ‘Why?’
His jaw tightened and he looked strangely self-conscious for a moment. ‘Our flight back to New York isn’t until tomorrow afternoon and I have no further meetings planned. You said you’d never seen Kyoto. I didn’t want you to come all this way and miss out.’
The honest kindness in his words made her throat clench and she barely managed to utter a thank you before her words left her entirely. Why did he have to keep acting so perfectly? The car moved through the ancient city quietly, no more words passing between them. Their driver expertly navigated them through a set of tall wrought-iron gates and wove them uphill, through an avenue of tall maples.
Dusk had fallen, the lights of Kyoto shining in the distance now as they rounded a bend and a beautiful house came into view. It was breathtaking, a mixture of traditional Japanese design and stark modern lines. It was silent and serene as they made their way up the stone steps, the sound of running water coming faintly from nearby.
But once they were inside, alone, Xander turned to her.
‘I’ve been honest with you tonight. I’ve trusted you with this deal and yet it seems you’re determined not to trust me. In my experience, those who seek out lies are usually the ones hiding something themselves. I think it’s time you told me the truth, don’t you?’
She felt her anxiety begin to rise and swell once more. He had been honest with her about Ran, even when she’d thought the worst of him. And yet she continued to keep a secret from him that she knew he deserved to know. She trusted him enough to know that he wouldn’t punish her in the way that she’d once feared. And yet, she’d still resisted, not wanting to see the look in his eyes when he found out her true deception.
‘I know about Titan Corp,’ she said on a rush of breath.
CHAPTER TEN
XANDERFROZE,HISeyes narrowing to slits. ‘Explain.’
‘I know that you’re planning to stage a hostile takeover of Mytikas Holdings once you’ve accumulated enough shares. I know this because...Zeus told me. He used me...to spy on you and report back.’
‘How long?’ he gritted out.
‘From the moment you arrived in New York he told me that I would be used to get secrets from you. But I promise, I only ever told him the bare minimum I could get away with. He was blackmailing me to work for him.’
‘What? How?’ Xander looked appalled.
‘The first night we met, I was at that gala as a guest with my mother. I had no idea who you were, or who Zeus was to you. You and I never exchanged second names. I’d just had an argument with my mother, I’d overheard her arguing with Zeus and realised that she’d lied about the true nature of our trip to the States. Zeus was holding something over her and was trying to call in a favour, but...she couldn’t do whatever he wanted.’
She forced the words past her lips in a rush, knowing that if she stopped, if she so much as looked at him, she would lose her nerve. But still, she could feel his eyes on her.
‘Zeus said he had evidence of whatever she’d done, so to get it back, I agreed to work for him. Initially because I had the language skills he urgently needed, and then, after he became ill, he instructed me to spy on you for him. The evidence he had against my mother was what I was looking for in the safe that day of your and Priya’s wedding. It was supposed to have been in the file I bargained with you for.’
‘Supposed to be? So it wasn’t inside?’
Pandora felt her bottom lip quiver, remembering that night when she’d got home and pulled open the file only to find it empty. Not a single scandalous picture or damning email to be found. She’d contemplated calling her mother, but then she would have had to reveal her own bargain with Xander.
